


When Three Becomes Four

by dolchedeux



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Baby!Jongin, Domestic, Family, Fluff, Humour, M/M, Mpreg, Romance, Self-Indulgent, baby!sehun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27957305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dolchedeux/pseuds/dolchedeux
Summary: A collection of stories featuring the lives of Parents!ChanBaek and Baby!SeKai!OR: I'm struggling with writer's block and the only way out of this is writing VERY self-indulgent, cute family AUs apparently.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 24
Kudos: 77





	1. Sunshine

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**The Park’s Apartment** **  
****20 December 2020, Sunday** **  
** **07:14 A.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

With the _whoosh_ of the industrial refrigerator door came the rush of cold air, resulting in flyaway strands of hair and whimpers from the little pup nestled on his chest. Chanyeol, the Alpha parent, quickly hushed the still sleepy tot, under-the-breath hums and the constant patting of the pup’s bottom being quick to soothe his son.

The whimpers leaving Park Jongin’s lips and the soft frown marring his forehead soon tapered off to nothing, leaving the two-year-old in serenity once again as he settled back into his father’s chest. The pup was wrapped in a yellow baby wrap, the soft bear-printed cotton wrapped snuggly about his father’s torso providing a comfortable hold and hands-free carry. That, coupled with the fresh scent of warm citrus and fresh lavender wafting off of his father’s skin and seeping into his own provided a comfort and security unlike any other, one that had the pup drifting back to sleep in a matter of seconds.

Chuckling, Chanyeol could only smile, features turning soft as he combed down the haphazard strands, efforts knowingly in vain since Jongin’s cowlick was staple in the mornings no matter how much either parent tried to force it down. However, thinking about it now, Chanyeol actually much prefers the cowlick. It offered not only amusement in the mornings (because a bleary-eyed, whiny Jongin is even more amusing with an extravagant cowlick up the side of his head), but also endearment too.

A sleepy, cuddly, pouty Nini is cute enough as it is, but a sleepy, cuddly, pouty little Nini with a cowlick half the length of his face? _Even cuter._

(Chanyeol almost combusted a handful of times from how _cute_ his little Nini was).

So here Jongin was, nestled in the yellow, bear-printed wrap, snuggled in his extra fluffy, extra soft, brown bear onesie (complete with a bear-faced hood), snoozing on his father’s bare chest.

With a cowlick too.

Bringing both arms up, Chanyeol couldn’t resist as he wrapped them about his son, lips curling into his mouth as he pressed them against his son’s crown, eyes squeezing shut and limbs tensing as he tried his hardest to _not_ squeeze his son to death.

Fortunately, Jongin didn’t budge, the little toddler remaining blissfully in slumber. This, however, encouraged the Alpha father to go even further; pressing quick pecks all over his son’s messy hair, the soft skin of his forehead, his temples, his smooth eyebrows and his plump eyelids—

_“Ungh…”_

… aaaaaand _cut._

Resisting the urge to pout, Chanyeol instead shifted his focus to the fridge. After all, he _was_ supposed to make breakfast.

Giving the contents a quick scan, Chanyeol quickly developed a hearty breakfast menu; one that suited a meat-loving two-year-old’s, a tall, fit, and oh-so-handsome, oh-so-hard-working Head Chef’s, and a five-month-pregnant, exhausted, and devastatingly handsome Omega’s tastes and needs. 

Seaweed soup, grilled beef, and spicy seafood salad made up the main dishes, with kimchi and brown rice being sides, and Chanyeol prepared glasses of orange juice to help wash down the food.

Jongin did wake up in the middle of his breakfast prep, though Chanyeol was thankful that his son hadn’t put up much of a fuss. He assumed it had something to do with how much sleep Jongin had got (a whopping ten hours and fourty-five minutes, if the Alpha accounted the half-hour he slept on his chest). However, Chanyeol knew that if he didn’t finish preparing breakfast and didn’t start filling his son’s empty tummy, the quiet, sweet, adorable little toddler would turn into a wailing, yelling, angry miniscule devil, which was why the Alpha had quickly settled Jongin down onto his high chair before turning back to his food.

Thankfully, he plated everything on time, and it was when Jongin was in the middle of his third mouthful did he blurt out— “Papa?”

The volume at which the question was asked startled the father, and Chanyeol was quick to place his own bowl back down onto the table, placing one finger to his lips in a call for Jongin to quieten down. Glancing towards the hallway and focusing his concentration to his ears, the Alpha sought out for any whimpering and shuffles, telling signs of a rising Mate, and with a quick glance to the wall clock— _8:03 A.M.—_

— Baekhyun was still asleep.

_Thank goodness._

Now, it wasn’t as if Chanyeol (or Jongin for that matter) had anything to hide from Baekhyun. They had done nothing to warrant the slumbering Omega’s wrath, and hence had no reason to _fear_ him awakening.

Rather, Chanyeol wished for his Mate to continue sleeping simply because of how tired he had been the previous night.

You see, Baekhyun was on his 22nd week of pregnancy, meaning that he was a little more than halfway through his second trimester, and hence meaning that on top of needing to deal with the standard and expected troubles of heartburn, indigestion, constipation, headaches, dizziness, cravings, and weight gain, Baekhyun had to _also_ deal with the newly, self-invited pests of leg cramps and _stretch marks._

(Chanyeol remembers how he had awoken to Baekhyun outright sobbing in the bathroom, his Mate’s whimpers and sniffles ringing ten times louder due to them echoing and bouncing off the marble tiles. Imagine his shock and panic that morning, thoughts of _“Did he fall?! Is he hurt?! Ohmygod is he okay— God he has to be okay, he’s pregnant and Sehun’s so much bigger than Jongin was at 22 weeks please God please—”_ wreaking havoc through his head, only to find out that Baekhyun was sobbing over stretched skin.)

So. Basically, Baekhyun was dealing with a lot right now, and unfortunately, Chanyeol has long come to realise that he won’t be of much help.

Their obstetrician-cross-son’s-pediatrician, Kim Junmyeon, had mentioned that most of the turmoils are part and parcel of one’s pregnancy, regardless of genders, and they are battles that the carriers would have to fight alone. He can, however, help to make the battles easier by letting Baekhyun rest as much as possible, and also assisting him in any way he deems fit and plausible.

Which was why ever since their routine checkup three weeks ago, Chanyeol had made sure to prepare breakfast, clean up the house, and take care of Jongin every morning before he left for work. He saw it as killing two birds with one stone; he got to let his pregnant Mate rest and he got to cook, workout (cleaning an apartment, despite seeming easy, was a _lot_ of work), and smother his son in his scent and hugs without anyone to say otherwise.

(Jongin was certainly not complaining, and he was the only one whose opinion mattered.)

And that perspective led him to where he was now, cleaning up the kitchen as his son munched on his share of brown rice and meat, the grains sticking to his cheeks and sauce a mess around his lips. A messy eater, yes, but that was to be expected of two-year-old toddlers who were still getting acquainted with chopsticks.

“Is it good Sunshine? You like Daddy’s cooking?” Chanyeol called, peeking over his shoulder as he rinsed off the last of the dishes. He had polished off his own breakfast just a few minutes ago and seeing as how Jongin was still in the middle of his own meal, had proceeded to clean the kitchen.

A smile had unconsciously begun to blossom across his face, the Alpha looking on with fond eyes as his son bounced and nodded, an indisputable “mmhmm!” ringing from his throat, and Chanyeol knew that Jongin _loved_ it.

They could tell how much their son was enjoying his meal based on his reactions, a graph of sorts, with the intensity of his body movements being the horizontal axis and volume of his “Yes Daddy!”s or “Yes Papa!”s or any other sound being the vertical one, and the final computed points on the graph being his satisfaction level.

Though do not mistake this for “Is Nini a picky eater, then?”, because Chanyeol could assure you wholeheartedly that their son would eat absolutely anything and everything, but which person doesn’t have a graph of food satisfaction, right?

Giving the kitchen counters and island one last wipe down, Chanyeol glanced up to the clock to find that only twenty minutes had passed, meaning he still had quite a bit of time left before he would have to leave for work. Baekhyun thankfully didn’t have any classes scheduled for today, or Sundays in general, which left him with a free day.

 _‘Good,’_ Chanyeol thought, _‘He needs the rest after the tiring week he had, especially last night’s dinner shift.’_

That was another thing about Baekhyun. On top of his job as a vocal instructor at the Academy, Baekhyun helps Viva Polo run the register on Saturday nights. It wasn’t something that started recently— Baekhyun had been working at the Park’s restaurant for well over a year before Chanyeol started courting him (but that is a story for another time)— but seeing how he didn’t have much else to do on the weekends, Baekhyun thought it’d be good to occupy his time by helping his mother-in-law and Mate run their family restaurant.

Chanyeol appreciates it of course, because nothing else is as motivating as having your Mate handle the register right in front of you, able to see, hear, and smell him near on the busiest night of the week. Also, considering how Jongin would be there too— either playing with his toys or strapped up in his carrier on Youngmi’s chest as she interacts with the guests— it really helps calm him down, especially when there’s hiccups during service.

So Saturday nights are a joy for the Park family, and Chanyeol even looks forward to them.

But anomalies exist everywhere and anywhere, and last night was one.

The thing is, Baekhyun had a pretty stressful week. One of his colleagues, his best friend at that, had left for Japan on vacation and Baekhyun— being the selfless friend that he was— offered to take over Jongdae’s classes for the week after he saw how stressed the other Omega was over rescheduling. Jongdae had refused at first, because _“you’re_ pregnant, _Baek. I don’t wanna cause you any more stress.”,_ but Baekhyun insisted that he could handle the workload since _“it’s only going to be a week, and I think my two years of baby-caring experience can vouch for how well I handle pressure and stress.”_

(Jongdae didn’t see the link but whatever a five-month-pregnant Omega says, goes.)

Baekhyun already had seven classes on his own, and he had to take on half of Jongdae’s— the half he couldn’t reschedule— which meant that he had a total of eleven classes in that week. And because Baekhyun had already promised both his Mate and mother-in-law that he would work the register that Saturday, he didn’t have the heart to cancel on them— going so far as to chastise his own Mate for suggesting he rest at home instead.

 _“I’ve got Sunday off, so I’ll rest then”_ had been his stubborn reply, and Chanyeol knew that it was the end of that.

Thankfully though, despite it being a crowded night, service went pretty smoothly and there weren’t many hiccups, even none on Baekhyun’s end. It might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but with how the week had gone by so far, it was a small victory for Chanyeol.

Which brings him to where he is now, washing up his son’s dishes as Jongin waddles about the kitchen, banana in hand.

“Give Daddy a few minutes, alright? I need to plate up Papa’s food really nicely and then we can go to him.” He was responded by an enthusiastic, albeit banana-muffled “Okay Daddy!”, and Chanyeol would have smothered Jongin in kisses if he wasn’t already preoccupied with the dishes.

After all the dishes were washed and resting on the rack to dry off, Chanyeol swiftly plated up Baekhyun’s (thankfully still warm) food before letting Jongin— hands now full with a bowl of freshly washed strawberries— lead the way to their master bedroom.

* * *

Soft nuzzles and warm coos were the first thing that greeted Baekhyun, and his body knew that it was time to wake up. It’s been Chanyeol’s standard greeting, even _way_ before they were Mated, and it’s become his own personal alarm clock. He could even feel a pair of short arms wrap about his neck, a soft, tiny little body resting on his shoulder and arm for a good few seconds before equally as tiny lips pressed a kiss to his cheek, and Baekhyun couldn’t help the giggles from slipping past as the sandman finally released its grasp on him.

Blinking his bleary eyes open, Baekhyun’s entire vision was filled with nothing else but his son’s smushed cheek and his husband’s pursed lips, the Omega’s giggles turning into full on laughter at the endearing sight.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to this.

“G’morning, Papa~” Jongin stage-whispered, pulling back before flashing his Omega parent with his signature megawatt grin, eyes curving into tiny crescents and cheeks ballooning into round little mochis, not unlike his father’s. Baekhyun mumbled his greeting back, voice still hoarse from sleep, before pressing his own smooch against his son’s cheek.

“Morning Yeol,” he calls, wrapping his free arm around his Mate’s neck and pulling him in to press a kiss against his lips. Chanyeol, unsurprisingly, divulged in it because nothing tastes better than his Mate’s lips, but Baekhyun’s food would only remain warm for so long and seeing as how the air conditioner was still whirring, the Alpha didn’t want to take the risk.

“I made your favourite this morning.” Chanyeol smiles as he rests the breakfast tray over his Mate’s lap. Baekhyun had sat up against the headboard once he and his Mate separated from their liplock and had called for Jongin to curl up by his side in the middle of the bed, as per routine. “And before you think otherwise, it’s actually 8.47am right now, we let you sleep in.”

Baekhyun smiles, heart growing warm and full. Usually he’d be awake by 7.00am on the dot, but he guesses that Chanyeol must have known how exhausting the past week had been for him and even though he felt a little upset at letting his discomfort and tire show, there was no point dwelling on it. Instead, Baekhyun chose to focus on the gratitude, and expressed it by calling his Mate over and pressing his neck against the other’s.

An expression of appreciation, of love, of _trust._

Chanyeol only pressed back in kind before pressing yet another kiss to his Mate’s brow before pulling away entirely, plopping down on the other side of their son and munching on the berries.

Silence overtook the morning exchanges of affection, but it was by no means uncomfortable. It was broken occasionally though, by the quiet sounds of chewing and munching, as well as Jongin’s little “mmm!!”s every time he bit into a juicy berry. 

“You in a good mood this morning, huh, Sunshine?” Baekhyun laughed, helping Jongin wipe the little trail of strawberry juice running down his chin. He wasn’t wearing his bib then so his clothes weren’t immune to food stains, so Baekhyun made do and used tissues as a makeshift one. “You and Daddy enjoyed your morning? What did you and Daddy do?”

Jongin let out a little hum at that, head cocking to the side as he contemplated on what to say, leaning into his father’s side and into the hand combing through his hair. “Breakfast! Banana! Now, strawberry~”

The toddler finished off the berry in his hand with a smile, grinning up at his Omega parent. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Jongin was saying, much less being the pup’s _parent,_ and Baekhyun could only respond in kind.

Their quiet Sunday morning continued on in this fashion; Baekhyun asking their son anything and everything, not entirely just to hear what he had to say but also to hear his voice, all whilst peppering kisses and holding him close every now and then. Nothing could ever come close to the comfort and warmth a child’s voice and presence could bring; both parents knew that.

“Papa, all done?”

Baekhyun nodded, singing a soft “All done~!” in reply as he polished off the last mouthful on his plate. It’s a habit Jongin has come to develop, something he picked up from his Alpha parent— a habit of Chanyeol’s that Baekhyun has always found endearing— and he wasn’t complaining. In fact, he was pretty happy about that fact too, because it didn’t only level up their son’s cuteness factor, but—

“Thank you, Love.”

“Thank you Daddy!”

— his _politeness_ factor as well.

That was another thing he picked up from his parents, but this time it was from his Omega one. It wasn’t all that difficult to see just how much Jongin looks up to his parents not just as caretakers but as role models as well, if the way he mimics their speech patterns, their behavioral habits, and characteristic nuances was anything to go by.

It worried the parents initially, afraid of their son picking up some not-so-great habits or speech patterns, but it all worked in their favour for this new knowledge that there was someone who held them at high regard had motivated them to identify areas about themselves that they weren’t the most pleased with, thus pushing themselves to improve on and correct them. It even led to a happier Mating, if they were to be honest; gone was Chanyeol’s habit of leaving his empty, dirty snack bowls out on the counter and gone was Baekhyun’s habit of leaving out nesting supplies in places where they shouldn’t be, amongst others.

So now Jongin always makes sure to bring his empty bowls to the sink after he’s done, and to put all of his dirty clothes in the laundry hamper.

Neither Baekhyun nor Chanyeol could be happier.

“All done too Daddy!” The two year old held out the empty bowl for his father to take, and Chanyeol did so with a kiss to his son’s crown in thanks. Jongin only giggled back, his childish laughter nothing less than sunshine and the catalyst for his father’s grin.

“Good job Baby,” the Alpha praises, pressing yet another series of kisses but this time on his son’s forehead, “you must be really full now, huh?”

“Yes! So full!”

The little family of three (and a half) only burst into fond chuckles and affectionate smiles, and Chanyeol used this time to help his Mate clear his lap of the breakfast tray and lay the duvet back over his tummy. Of course, he couldn’t leave the room without kissing his Mate, so it was with another press of lips and making sure the two— no, _three—_ loves of his life were snuggled warmly under the covers did he leave for the kitchen.

Though, with the cool air of the AC and the warmth of full bellies and thick blankets enveloping the three of them in its comforting embrace, Chanyeol really shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was when he came back to a snoozing Mate and son.

Smiling, Chanyeol pressed another series of kisses on their crowns before hopping into the shower.

He had work today, after all.

* * *

“... Yeol…?” A quick glance around their bedroom spoke on behalf of his Mate’s absence, and a glance at the bedside clock confirmed it.

_10.23am._

A glance down at his side told him that Jongin was still snoozing, and Baekhyun didn’t have the heart to jostle his little one awake despite the need to find his Mate and bid him goodbye before Chanyeol left for work, so he did the next best thing.

A tingle of his Mark was all Chanyeol needed to step into their bedroom, and Baekhyun was relieved to note that his Mate hadn’t left just yet.

“I was packing my bag Love,” the Alpha explained, lips gently curled and voice mellow with fond disbelief. “You don’t think I’d leave without saying goodbye, did you?”

Baekhyun shut his eyes as his Mate raked his fingers through his hair, revelling in the attention and touch of the other, knowing that he would be very much deprived of it for the next 12 hours or so— Chanyeol works the entire shift, 11.00am to 11.00pm— and hence had to make up for all of that right then. “I’ve known you long enough to know that.”

The both of them share smiles before the Alpha bends to press a smooch on his Mate’s exposed forehead. “You comfortable? Everything okay?” He ended off his questions with his free palm splaying over his Mate’s stretched belly, calloused palm smoothing over the taut skin, and Baekhyun sighed at the warmth seeping into his stomach.

Truthfully, Baekhyun was not _entirely_ okay— he would have rather his Mate stay at home and hug and coddle and cuddle with him as they laze and love their Sunday away— but he couldn’t voice that out. Not because Chanyeol wouldn’t do that, but because he was acting entirely like a spoilt privileged Omega princess who cries and whines to get what they want— and if there is one thing that Baekhyun is _not,_ it’s being _that._

His Mate had a restaurant to run, and Baekhyun was more than capable of going through a few hours without Chanyeol’s hand in his own, so he lets the other go.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

Baekhyun hums in reply before allowing his Mate to press their necks together. “Take care, drive safe.”

“I will.”

Holding his obviously still sleepy Mate’s face in his hands, Chanyeol swiped his thumbs over the apples of Baekhyun’s cheeks before swooping in and pressing one last kiss on the pouty lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too~,” Baekhyun smiles, “now go Yeol, you’re gonna be late!”

Chanyeol just laughs.

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**Viva Polo** **  
****20 December 2020, Sunday** **  
** **02:58 P.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Bye bye!” The little call was accompanied by a wave, Jongin’s smile bright as he crossed paths with the last few trickling customers. Viva Polo was closed for the next two hours, a break between the lunch and dinner shifts to allow firstly for the kitchen to have ample time to prepare for dinner, but also to allow the staff some time to rest and recuperate from the chaos that was lunch.

The Parks are always going to be thankful for their success as a family restaurant, don’t get them wrong, but running a restaurant can and will always be exhausting.

Especially weekends.

Which was why Baekhyun had suggested dropping by during the break hours to a sleepy Jongin, his hopeful whispers of _“Should we surprise Daddy at the restaurant today, Sunshine?”_ being responded with excited squeals and furious head nods. Jongin had instantly bolted up and out of the couch, his anticipation obvious and palpable as he cheered and hopped all about the padded living room, which was why Baekhyun actually felt pretty bad when he had to snip his son’s excitement in the bud by informing him that they still had four hours to go.

(Baekhyun was missing Chanyeol _so_ much already, despite his Mate having just left thirty minutes ago, so sue him for already coming up with plans of seeing him again.)

Jongin, unsurprisingly, had pouted, brows furrowing and head dropping backwards the moment he processed his father’s words. Baekhyun was quick to console him of course, a laugh bubbling out of his throat as he called Jongin over with a pat to his own lap.

 _“It’s just four hours Baby, it’s actually not a lot of time!”_ Baekhyun consoled, pressing his cheek to his son’s hair as he rocked the both of them gently from side-to-side. _“In fact, it also gives us some time to prepare more things for Daddy. We can help make him some food, since by the time we reach Daddy will be starving, so what do you say?”_

Jongin, of course, did not respond with anything but an affirmative. Which was why Baekhyun had more than enthusiastically let Jongin handle the assorting of the vegetables— _“Sort them by colour Baby, that’s right!”—_ as he prepared some kimchi fried rice. It was a pretty simple meal, definitely does not require the level of experience one would need should they wish to work at Viva Polo, but it was one made with a lot of heart, soul, and _love._

That automatically gives the dish a michelin star, Baekhyun thinks.

Which brings him to where he currently was, in the little waiting area of Viva Polo, Jongin’s baby backpack on his shoulders and hands occupied with Jongin’s own in one and their family’s lunch in the other.

(Baekhyun realised some time in the early afternoon that he wanted to eat his lunch _with_ Chanyeol, as opposed to simply making his Mate’s lunch and watching him eat. So— despite feeling like an overly clingy and needy Omega Mate— Baekhyun settled with keeping himself full with some snacks in anticipation of a later lunch.)

The kitchen was still in the midst of clean up as was the floor, the staff still heavily focused on wiping down their counters and washing up the pans and bowls as well as wiping down the tables and arranging the chairs. This wasn’t an uncommon sight, with Baekhyun having grown accustomed to the post-lunch clean-ups after all his years of working at Viva Polo, hence why he took it upon himself to approach his Mother-in-law at the cash register.

Youngmi, as always, was handling the register and ensuring that everything is in order after the lunch shift. It was clear that she was in the zone, eyes blowing wide and brows furrowed in concentration as she zeroed in on the screen, and Baekhyun felt bad for needing to disturb her— even if it was to just let her be aware of their presence and how he brought lunch for her.

… but it seems like he hadn’t had to put the weight entirely on his own shoulders, because—

_“Halmoni!”_

That had Youngmi startling, the Alpha jumping in her spot the moment the familiar cry was released. It was a call carried on a tone she was more than familiar with, heck it was a tone she absolutely _adored_ and would count down the days to hearing, so it was no surprise when the moment Youngmi tilted her head up and was greeted with her bashfully smiling son-in-law and excited little cherub of a grandson did Youngmi let out her own excited, surprised gasp.

 _“Nini! Hyunnie!”_ she cried, stepping out from behind the little podium and stretching her arms out to welcome the two. “Oh my— I’m so sorry for not noticing you two earlier, today’s lunch was busier than usual so the numbers took a little more time to tally up.”

“It’s okay mom,” Baekhyun reassured, giggling as Youngmi pressed a kiss to his cheek in greeting. “I understand, Sundays can be a little hectic.”

That was an understatement in itself, especially if addressing the lunch hours. Viva Polo coins itself to be a family restaurant, and considering how they were located just a ways away from a church, Sunday lunches always had the restaurant filled to the brim with patrons of different familial generations. With orders of all varieties and shapes and sizes, both the kitchen and floor staff worked on overdrive— accommodating softer meats and more stews for the elderly, and arranging for high chairs and cleaning up spills and messes by children.

Sundays definitely took a heavier toll on the staff as compared to other days, and the exhaustion was evident even on his mother-in-law’s and his Mate’s face.

It didn’t take long for Chanyeol to be notified of his family’s presence. If it hadn’t been for Youngmi’s calling of him to get down to the main area, then it would have been the nudging of the fellow kitchen staff— _“Chanyeol-ah, Baekhyunnie and Nini are here.”—_ that would have had him scrambling over immediately.

He greeted his son first and foremost, with Youngmi handing over a grabby-handed Jongin over to the Alpha father all whilst squealing out excited babbles of “Daddy! Daddy!” and Chanyeol could do nothing but swoop his son right out of his mother’s hands, spinning the both of them about before nuzzling his cheek, scenting him in the process.

Jongin undeniably was overjoyed, his squeals and giggles of “I missed you Daddy!” and “Daddy it tickles!” ringing so loudly all about the restaurant, though it was by no means unwelcomed. Jongin’s laughter and expressions of his own joy was a balm to the staff’s exhausted limbs and tired eyes, and the effect was obvious in the relaxing shoulders and tilting of lips on all staff, including Chanyeol and Youngmi.

“Daddy missed you too, Sunshine,” Chanyeol mumbled, lips pressed to his son’s neck as he breathed in the calming scent of fresh sunflowers. Jongin only continued to smile, allowing himself to relax completely in his father’s arms by letting his head fall flat on Chanyeol’s shoulders and tightening his arms around Chanyeol’s neck, and this action only prompted Chanyeol to tighten his own arms about his son.

“He was so excited to see you, y’know?” Baekhyun shared, free hand coming up to pinch Jongin’s puffed cheek (an effect from smushing his face against his father’s shoulder) as he scrunched his own features teasingly. “He even helped me prepare our lunch today!”

Baekhyun accompanied his statement with a lifting of the carrier, showing both Youngmi and Chanyeol the contents that he prepared for their lunch. That, however, had both Alphas zeroing in on the weight Baekhyun was carrying on his entirety, and Youngmi immediately reached out to the food carrier with a firm “ah let me carry that dear, I’ll go prepare the plates” and scurrying off, whilst Chanyeol reached for the backpack with nothing but a stern furrow, one that spoke for itself.

Baekhyun _was_ five months along and even though they were mostly safe from miscarriage risks, Chanyeol had expressed time and time again that he didn’t want Baekhyun overexerting himself physically.

With the looks of what his Mate carried on his own body all the way to the restaurant, however, Chanyeol had reason to believe that Baekhyun didn’t quite adhere to his concerns.

“I only packed what was necessary, Yeol,” Baekhyun defended, handing over the (evidently light) backpack to the other. He even went so far as to stretch his arm upwards, showing explicitly just how light the bag was, and Chanyeol immediately snapped his jaw shut.

That didn’t stop him from reaching out for the backpack though, and Baekhyun simply handed it over with no qualms. Despite showing how the backpack was comparatively lighter than usual, it didn’t erase the fact that Baekhyun was already carrying a pretty heavy load on his front. So if there were any chances of him being alleviated of any removable weight, then of course he’d take it.

“Still,” Chanyeol started, looping his free arm around his Mate’s waist after hoisting up the backpack onto his free shoulder, pulling the other closer, “Sehunnie’s already bigger and heavier than Jongin was at five months, I just don’t want you to risk hurting yourself.”

Baekhyun only rolled his eyes, though he tried vehemently to hide the soft pink that dusted itself over his cheeks by pressing his face into his Mate’s neck. “I won’t,” he mumbles, and it only took a second for Chanyeol to acknowledge his reply for his free hand soon came to splay over the taut skin of Baekhyun’s tummy, rubbing soothing circles over the flesh as he buried his nose in Baekhyun’s hair, breathing him in.

“I know you won’t, I trust you.” Chanyeol’s smile was so evident in his tone that Baekhyun himself couldn’t help but smile himself. “Anyway—”

_— Tummy rumbles—_

“... Lunch?”

Baekhyun laughs.

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**Viva Polo** **  
** **19 December 2020, Sunday** **  
** **04:23 P.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Hey,” was the first thing that greeted Baekhyun as he awoke, bleary eyes squinting against the harsh white of the restaurant’s admin office lights. Collecting his bearings, Baekhyun found himself to be cocooned in his Mate’s arms, the both of them huddled together under a draped blanket on the office’s sole sofa bed.

He remembers now how their family had retired to the office after scrapping their bowls clean and washing them, a routine Baekhyun himself was well aware of and largely favoured ever since he entered his second trimester. Chanyeol had taken it upon himself (of course) to pull out the sofa bed and the accompanying pillows and blankets, all whilst Baekhyun settled himself beside Youngmi and an already sleepy Jongin.

The Alpha matriarch had kept herself busy with the yellow sling, Baekhyun guiding her arms through the loops and ensuring that the soft material doesn’t end up tangled before depositing a tummy-filled, almost-snoozing Jongin into the little space. It was with a final kiss to his son’s crown did Baekhyun release his hold on Jongin, Youngmi moving over to the desktop to get started on some administrative tasks.

It wasn’t uncommon to see Youngmi working through the break, but that mainly had to do with how she would rather push through the hours and finish up all the necessary workload in the afternoon itself, as opposed to staying after closing and finishing them up. Baekhyun had once expressed his concern over this, asking not unkindly whether it’s okay for her to not rest at least for a while (because lunch would already be so hectic, and dinner even more so), but Youngmi had simply smiled and explained that she got off well before closing hours.

_“I work 8 to 8, Hyunnie, so I’ve got plenty of time to rest.”_

Baekhyun only took her words with nothing but an enlightened _“Ah…”,_ though their conversation was cut then and there due to Baekhyun being called over by another staff member.

But case in point, Youngmi worked through the hours whilst Chanyeol rested, and on the days where Baekhyun and Jongin drop by to help out, Youngmi would more than happily take Jongin off his parents arms and let them rest.

Hence why Baekhyun was reluctant to wake up.

“I gotta go in soon, Love…”

… but he was even more reluctant to leave his Mate’s arms.

“‘Soon’ isn’t _‘now’...”_ Baekhyun rebutted, tightening his arms over Chanyeol’s waist as he dug his face into his chest, taking in deep inhales of the comforting citrus. His comment, however, served to only bring out a chuckle from Chanyeol, his Mate’s chest rumbling right beneath Baekhyun’s nose.

“You really missed me, huh?” It was more of a rhetorical question than not, so Baekhyun kept mum as he let his Mate bury his own nose into his hair, following up his inhales with little pecks pressed to his crown. “I really missed you too.”

A splay of a palm over taut skin, another press of lips to his crown.

“I really missed _all_ of you…”

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**Viva Polo** **Carpark** **  
****20 December 2020, Sunday** **  
** **04:43 P.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Are you comfortable, Sunshine?”

Chanyeol’s question was a little more than a whisper, said with such care, and Baekhyun could only smile as he watched the exchange between his Mate and firstborn.

Jongin had woken up just mere minutes ago, chubby and cherubic features scrunching up in response to the deliberate hums and nudges from his grandmother.

Dinner prep was starting, and Youngmi knew that it was time for Jongin to head back home, as was it Baekhyun’s. Of course, it wasn’t as if she had _forced_ them to head back home. It was a unanimous decision on all parts— from Baekhyun to Chanyeol and lastly, to herself— seeing as how Baekhyun’s exhaustion was evident in the slow blinks of his eyes and the gingerness of his steps.

Baekhyun had tried to hide it of course, thinking that it’d be rude to express discomfort and tire in front of his mother-in-law, but Youngmi was a mother herself. The pains and discomforts of child-bearing were like the back of her hands to her— recognisable from miles, and as familiar as home. So it was with no more than a peck to her son-in-law’s forehead and a smile of understanding and reassurance did Youngmi wave him goodbye, the motherly undertone lacing _“Rest, my dear, that’s the most important job you have to do right now”_ serving nothing but comfort and warmth in the heart of the lone Omega. He pressed his own kiss to Youngmi’s cheek and murmured a quiet whisper of gratitude before heading off to join his Mate, easily slipping his fingers into Chanyeol’s own and smiling at the echo of the familiar closing of the restaurant door.

Which brings him to where he was right then, situated a step behind his Mate as Chanyeol strapped a sleepy Jongin up onto his booster seat, careful to not jostle or nudge the two year old around too much in efforts to not wake him up. Baekhyun hadn’t mentioned this, with it having slipped his mind, but Chanyeol must have figured out on his own that Jongin hadn’t taken his daily nap yet.

Chanyeol would argue that he must have been a genius for having figured it out with no hint whatsoever, that him knowing that his son hadn’t taken his nap is a sign of him being the perfect Alpha father, but Baekhyun knows that his brief slip detailing Jongin’s excitement all afternoon must have been it.

Moreover, Jongin usually napped from 2.00pm to 4.00pm, so to have him be up and smiley at 3.00pm was a no-brainer dead giveaway.

“He’s out like a light, huh?” Baekhyun murmurs, brushing a stray lock behind Jongin’s ear as he gazes at their son, lips tilted every so faintly along the corners. “Seeing you and mom must have tired him out _past_ the cranky stage.”

Chanyeol simply laughs, gazing at his Mate and sleeping son as he stands by the opened door, letting Baekhyun give his own share of affection to Jongin for the time being, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to touch— much less hold and hug and kiss— Jongin for the next 10 minutes or so.

It may seem rather clingy, but that’s just how pregnant Omegas are, Baekhyun even more so. Chanyeol— as well as the rest of their families— has had his fair share of clingy-Baekhyun, an arsenal of memories where Baekhyun couldn’t stand to be apart from Chanyeol for even a _minute,_ whining when Chanyeol so much as leaves the room and— by extension— leaving Baekhyun and their still developing Jongin alone.

A non-pregnant Baekhyun already had so much love to give, which was why Chanyeol was surprised when it seemed like a pregnant Baekhyun could increase that ten-fold. 

But he wasn’t complaining. In fact, Chanyeol _adored_ it.

(Which Alpha wouldn’t?)

So it was with only fond eyes and a soft smile did Chanyeol allow Baekhyun to press fleeting touches across their son’s entirety, watching with a blooming heart and serenity as his Mate showers their little one in butterflies of unconditional love and devotion.

Pressing love into _their_ love.

… and it was with this thought, this revelation, did Chanyeol feel his lungs swell, oxygen both saturating and distilling in his vessels as the warmth residing in his chest spreads and floods his system; a wildfire of adoration, of gratitude, of _love._

… because Chanyeol considers himself _lucky._

Lucky to have found such a loving, such a lovely Mate.

For Baekhyun was _lovely._

… and he made sure to tell him that.

Baekhyun’s blush and laugh were _lovelier._

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**The Park's Apartment  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **01:34 A.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Love?”

The whisper was greeted with nothing but silence, and a quick glance to the blinking green digits of the cable clock was all the reasoning Park Chanyeol needed.

_1:34am._

Dinner service had ended much later than expected, though Chanyeol couldn’t say that it wasn’t anticipated. After all, 10.00pm bookings were common place in a restaurant as famous as _Viva Polo—_ in places like _Gangnam_ in general, really. A-list celebrities of all industries and genres, be it comedic and hosting to singing and performing, would all make reservations past closing and would stay for a good two to three hours.

Of course, it wasn’t as if they purposely stayed longer than necessary and hence were being inconsiderate on purpose, but these celebrities usually made reservations at restaurants which owners they know, and today’s booking was no exception.

With his husband being one of the famed vocal instructors in the industry, his love was not new to the acquainting of celebrities— most especially the ones reigning the daily music charts. Baekhyun never failed to introduce his family to his students once they’ve gotten comfortable with each other, and that only resulted in those same students eventually coming round to Viva Polo and making reservations.

And once they got close enough to Chanyeol, they’ll make reservations with him, the head chef, personally.

As was the case today.

Which was why Chanyeol hadn’t minded the late closing as much as he usually would, because it was none other than Kim Heechul who had made the reservation.

The veteran idol had made a reservation for nine people, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that it was for the entirety of the original Hallyu stars, Super Junior. 

(Chanyeol had joked in their text exchanges whether he would need to soundproof the walls in hindsight, to which all he got was a resigned _“… maybe”.)_

Baekhyun hadn’t trained Heechul from the very start of course— they _were_ nine years apart in age after all. Besides, Heechul debuted when Baekhyun was barely a teenager, so really, he couldn’t have been Heechul’s vocal instructor back then even if he had tried. Rather, Heechul had started looking for ways to improve his vocal ability some time after his debut, and it just so happened that his search for a vocal coach fell in line with Baekhyun’s stepping into the industry of vocal coaching.

They had hit it off perfectly back then, and their friendship continues to remain strong a whole decade later.

In fact, it had gotten so strong that Heechul ended up being one of the very few, yet extremely significant people in Baekhyun’s life— and by extension Chanyeol’s— for Heechul was requested by Baekhyun to be their son’s godfather.

… and _that_ should speak for who Heechul is to not just them as a couple, but to them as individuals.

Which was why Chanyeol was more than accommodating to Heechul and the rest of Super Junior, welcoming them with open arms and hearty food.

However, his plans to be the best host possible were thwarted by Kim Heechul himself, the Beta forcing Chanyeol to sit down and eat with the rest of them whilst he himself went to dish out the food. Chanyeol’s initial reaction had been reluctance of course, but it was not due to his lack of faith in Heechul’s ability and knowhow in the kitchen of Viva Polo— in fact, Heechul has been here enough times to know exactly where everything is— but rather, his sense of responsibility to take care of his guests as a _host._

Unfortunately for him, all nine members didn’t see it that way, instead going along with Heechul and forcing the Alpha to settle down whilst they themselves went to serve up the food and drinks.

_“You’re tired, Chanyeol-ah, so let Hyungs take care of you okay?”_

… and who was Chanyeol to say no to that?

Before long, the table was set and the food served, and it was with a concerted expression of gratitude did all ten men dig in. As was expected, the meal was lively, with the food being accompanied by humorous anecdotes and fond recollections, in which Chanyeol surprisingly didn’t feel out of place during.

For all the anecdotes and recollections had involved both himself and Baekhyun.

The thing is, despite Heechul being the only one Baekhyun had trained, his husband had eventually met the rest of Super Junior during his years of being a vocal coach, courtesy of Heechul. Chanyeol wasn’t kidding when he mentioned that the friendship his husband shares with the veteran idol was one of the strongest he’s ever seen, because it truly was; Heechul had become somewhat of an older brother to Baekhyun within that ten years, to the point that Chanyeol even had had to seek his approval when they first started courting, and later when he requested to officially be Baekhyun's Mate.

So really, they considered each other family.

Which was why Heechul hadn’t restricted himself from introducing Baekhyun to his bandmates, wanting them to meet _“my pretty baby brother”,_ and the members hadn’t held back from showing and showering their affection, gladly adopting Baekhyun as their own younger brother and treating him with nothing but care.

And the rest is pretty much history.

Which was why meet-ups with Super Junior were much less encounters with idols and much more gatherings with family.

And it was all so apparent in the way the members had brought tupperwares of their own cooking, because _“Baekhyunnie’s been craving these, hasn’t he?”,_ and how they had all brought their own gifts, for _“you mentioned needing these, so I bought it and I’ll have it delivered straight to your house. It’ll arrive tomorrow— Hyunnie will be home right? To receive it?”_ and also _“Nini could use more toys, I’ll have them delivered to your house. Think of it as an early Christmas present.”_

Which explains his full hands.

The members hadn’t been shy in gifting, each of them handing out their own versions of gifts and goodies and helping Chanyeol load them into his car. Thankfully the bulkier gifts were being sent by delivery, so Chanyeol hadn’t had to worry about an overloaded and overfilled trunk, but that’s not to say the… _portable_ gifts were any less… _portable._

He had his hands full for a reason.

Which was why he was returning home so exhausted. They lived on one of the higher floors in the apartment building, and the trek from the carpark to the lobby hadn’t been an easy one— at least, not with each hand carrying three heavy tote bags. Moreover, considering it was pretty late, Chanyeol had taken extra precaution to watch his step and bear his grunts; he didn't want to disturb the stillness of the night nor the serenity of the quiet lobby after all.

So it was after a tiresome five minutes did he finally enter their apartment, and another one for him to dump (read: carefully place) all the bags on the kitchen island, and another second to decide that he’ll leave the gift storing for later.

Because right now, he’d very much rather be in the arms of his Mate.

A peek into the dim master bedroom told him that his Mate was sound asleep; Baekhyun’s lithe figure huddled under the thick covers, only his head poking out from the sheets. The state of his hair became visible the closer Chanyeol got to him, and it was with a fond chuckle slipping past his lips did he comb down the strands, touch featherlight. He really hadn’t wanted to wake the other up, but it seems like even that lone touch was enough to have Baekhyun stirring, something that Chanyeol couldn’t help but feel both elated and apologetic for. But he guesses he had missed his husband much more than he thought, based on which emotion emerged the victor, considering the first thing Chanyeol did upon seeing his Mate's bleary gaze was to smile.

“Hi Love,” he whispers, fingers stilling in their brushing of wayward strands. “I’m sorry for waking you.”

Baekhyun simply shakes his head, the action slowed down by his clear exhaustion and bleariness. “You just came back?”

“Yeah, Heechul Hyung and the others came by today and we talked for a lot longer than expected, _expectedly.”_ He laughs, pulling out a soft chuckle from the other as well. “But they did bring along gifts, namely some toys for Jongin and foods that’ll be good for you. I’ll keep them in the fridge and heat it up tomorrow for breakfast, before you go to work.”

Baekhyun hums, an acknowledgement and early thanks, before be nuzzles into his Mate's palm. “I’ve missed you,” he mumbles, eyes peeking through his lashes, the brown honeyed in their affection and warm in their fondness, “and Nini’s missed you too.”

The mention of their 2-year-old son tugged the corners of Chanyeol’s lips up, whilst simultaneously morphing his eyes to be a mirror of Baekhyun’s own. He drags his palm down the side of the other's face then, cupping his cheek as he murmurs how “I’ll go greet him later, after I shower.”

So it was with a press of lips to his Mate's forehead and the press of his Mate's lips to his own cheek was Chanyeol sent off back to the kitchen, storing the tupperwares in the fridge before heading into the shower. Baekhyun, in the meantime, had turned back to huddling under the covers, but was only progressively getting more and more awake as the realisation that his Alpha was finally home sunk in.

He had missed him _so much,_ and Baekhyun couldn’t even point out why.

(Though it's most likely the hormones... the stupid, _stupid_ hormones.)

It’s not like as though he hadn’t been apart from Chanyeol for over 8 hours before; hell, Chanyeol worked 12 hour shifts and— if they were both busy and Baekhyun's couldn't afford to drop by Viva Polo for lunch, they wouldn't see each other until they returned home at night. Moreover, Viva Polo was an immensely popular restaurant and it dealt with much more midnight bookings than usual, all of which Chanyeol would personally oversee. So really, not seeing each other for extended periods of time isn’t so out of the blue, at least not enough to warrant the immense longing he felt for the other all throughout the day.

Thankfully Jongin had been around though… not like he’d be anywhere else, but yes. Their two-year-old was such a jubilant distraction for Baekhyun and an excellent dam to his tears (because Baekhyun really did miss Chanyeol a lot, to the point where he had even teared up and was ready to cry), his smiles and giggles and exclamations and jubilant _“Papa! Thank you! Love you!”_ the perfect remedy for his ~~uncalled for~~ broken heart.

Which was why Baekhyun had, though he would never admit, latched himself to his son all throughout the day.

(Not as though it was rejected. After all, Jongin loves his Papa a lot, and welcomed all of his hugs and kisses and carrying-him-in-the-sling-as-Papa-did-the-household-chores. So safe to say, Jongin was _happy.)_

Jongin was nothing but a darling, hugging and holding Baekhyun whenever he could, and doing so just as much as Baekhyun was doing to him, and that had been enough to stitch up the tears of the Omega's heart, the ones caused by his Alpha's absence.

But of course, the perfect remedy would be Chanyeol's physical presence itself, so Baekhyun made sure to grab his fill the moment Chanyeol slid under the covers.

“You really missed me, huh?” Chanyeol laughs, bringing his own arms to sling over the other, burying his nose in the soft mop of brown. When all he got was an unabashed “Blame the hormones”, Chanyeol couldn’t help but smile, a huffed laugh leaving his nostrils as he rubbed large circles across his Mate's back.

“So did I, Love,” he whispers, tightening the hug and dropping a kiss into the other's hair. “So did I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you so much for giving this a chance and for reading it through to its end! I really appreciate it~ ^^
> 
> As mentioned in the fic summary, I am going through some major writer's block and (unsurprisingly... or not) the only work I was ever able to complete is a family AU 🙂 I mean, I'm not complaining because I love family AUs but also WOW MY FAVE TROPE IS REALLY THIS OBVIOUS HUH.
> 
> But anyway! This series is essentially kinda like a "travel with us" sort of thing, where we kinda just see how the characters live their lives! Which is why I've labelled this as complete, because you can read each chapter on its own (since they're not like SUPER related). I've got more chapters planned and they will include other characters as well (namely the EXOs and other SM artists), and of course Chanyeol and Baekhyun's real life family members! ^^ I'm really excited for this story, and quite happy that I finally got to post something after nearly half a year of nothing >< But yeah~
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for reading and please do let me know down in the comments if there's anything in particular you enjoyed! I'm also open to constructive criticsm, so don't be afraid to let me know if you do see any areas I could improve in, I'd really appreciate it! ^^ Till the next chapter!


	2. Noisy

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**The Park’s Apartment** **  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **07:33 A.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Sehunnie... still sleeping?”

The question was said in a tone carrying such immense disappointment that Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh. Bringing his palm up from where they were splayed on his belly— above the baby Omega’s own, Baekhyun proceeded to comb through the pup’s bedhead, fingers soothing and touch comforting.

Jongin had been wiggling with excitement, wanting to feel the little kicks and nudges his Papa would gasp and his Daddy would smile through. Even though he had felt his younger sibling tumble about in their Papa’s tummy before, it was a sensation that Jongin would never get over, much less get bored of. He would always race through the house whenever Baekhyun would call out for his two loves to  _ “Come quickly! Sehunnie’s kicking!”,  _ and he’d always be the first to giggle as he spread his fingers and rubbed his little palms  _ all _ over Baekhyun’s taut skin, searching for his baby brother’s foot.

The same exact thing he was doing now.

Unfortunately for the little tot though, today wasn’t one of the days Sehunnie wanted to be active.

“Babies sleep a lot, sweetheart,” he starts, head tilted, eyes soft and smile gentle as he gazes down at the other. “They need to sleep in order to grow. So let’s not disturb Sehunnie, okay?”

That had been enough to placate the younger, but Baekhyun could still see little tendrils of upset laced in the ever-present pout and dejected sigh, and all Baekhyun could do was continue in his soothing ministrations as Jongin lingered on his tummy.

Jongin had woken up slightly earlier than usual and had beelined immediately for his parents’ room, climbing up on their bed and splaying himself across his Alpha father’s chest. That hadn’t been much of a surprise to the parents, what with their firstborn always doing so every morning, so that wasn’t why they were surprised. Rather, it was how early Jongin had tumbled into the room that had the parents double-checking the time; after all, it wasn’t like Jongin to be up this early, but Baekhyun guessed it had a lot to do with how tired the pup was yesterday, his exhaustion coaxing him to an early bedtime.

(Baekhyun only blushed sheepishly at the recollection of his son’s exhaustion; he must have been the one who tired Jongin out yesterday, what with his incessant need to be with his son with every step he took around the apartment.)

Chanyeol had showered their little one in kisses, all of which Jongin giggly received, but the Park’s competitive spirit must have run in their blood for it wasn’t a second later did Jongin shower his own father in his own kisses. It served for an amusing— and very  _ very  _ warming sight, Baekhyun’s not going to lie, but his laughter had been his own demise— it gave away his awakened state, and it only took a shared glance for both his Mate and son to turn to him instead.

Safe to say, Baekhyun was the biggest victim of the morning.

Fortunately, Baekhyun’s alarm cut short their attack on him and it had the family breaking away from the Omega father’s face. It also had Chanyeol finally getting out of bed though, something which Jongin wasn’t all too happy with, but a hair ruffle and a kiss on the nose was all it took for the little pup to stand down.

_ “I’m just gonna go bring breakfast, Sunshine. It’ll only take five minutes!” _

Which brought them to where they were; Jongin sprawled over Baekhyun’s lap instead, arms splayed over his Omega father’s tummy and cheeks nuzzled against the taut skin.

“You were just like Sehunnie when you were in Papa’s belly, y’know,” Baekhyun teased, “in fact, you slept even more than Sehunnie! You got Daddy and I so worried a few times.” He ended his anecdote with a boop to Jongin’s nose, and Baekhyun couldn’t help but chuckle when all he got was a whiny “Noooooo” and a petulant nose scrunch.

“Yes you were,” he sings, patting the little one’s bottom, and that signified the end of their conversation. “Anyway, Papa has to get ready soon Sweetheart, do you wanna help choose my outfit?”

The enthusiastic “Yes!” he got in reply had been a sign enough to tell Baekhyun that his son was no longer upset, and Jongin quickly clambered down from the bed before racing to the walk-in closet just across the room.

The closet was a gift from Chanyeol to him, a surprise he hadn’t let slip to Baekhyun when he was renovating their apartment. The Omega had always mentioned how he wanted a walk-in closet when he got an apartment of his own, and Chanyeol would always take his fleeting comments with nothing but a hum.

It’s important to note that Baekhyun hadn’t made those comments with the aim of hinting to the other, no. Instead, whenever renovations were brought up— be it on their spontaneous trips to window shop in IKEA or whenever they watched  _ ‘I Live Alone’  _ together, Baekhyun would always sigh wistfully whenever they walked past wardrobes or when the cameras scaled the celebrity’s room.

_ “I’m gonna build a own walk-in closet the moment we have an apartment of our own, Yeol, and it’ll be big enough to swim in!”  _ had been one of his many exclamations, the smile on his face the perfect companion to the determination in his eyes, all of which Chanyeol only found endearing.

However, Jongin had come much earlier than anticipated, and in the midst of his pregnancy-brain and the chaos of finding a new home to live in and to renovate, Baekhyun’s wishes of a walk-in slipped all conversation. He had completely forgotten about it, not even being reminded of it when Chanyeol brought up their shared closet space, but he guesses that Chanyeol must have used that to his advantage.

For it served as the perfect surprise.

So it was with gratitude and fondness does Baekhyun make his way into their closet every morning, adoring and absorbing all the little details and taking them all in as if he’s seeing them for the first time. Chanyeol had really given his all into the construction, implementing all of Baekhyun’s little wishes: the styling, the flooring, the lighting, the mirrors, even the arrangement of clothing, and honestly—

He really couldn’t have asked for a better Mate.

His musings (read: lovesick thoughts of his Mate) were cut short unfortunately, by none other than their Sunshine as Jongin tugged on his fingers.

“Papa,” he starts, head tilted all the way back as he gazed into his father’s eyes, round eyes twinkling in anticipation and hope, “matchy matchy?”

_ Ah,  _ Baekhyun smiles, gently chucking his thumb and forefinger against the underside of his son’s chin,  _ he wants to match with me. _

And who was Baekhyun to say ‘no’ to that?

Jongin ended up picking out a cream coloured sweater for him to wear, and it matched perfectly with the cream he picked out for Chanyeol as well as himself. It took a couple of tries to get there, Baekhyun’s not going to lie, because Jongin had initially aimed for the bright pastels and bold colours, most of which were their summer tops and button downs.

Definitely inappropriate for winter.

Gentle questions and friendly suggestions guided Jongin in his outfit selection, and it was with a bright smile did he finally pick out the tops. Though that had apparently expended all his morning energy, because the moment he had seen his father’s smile as he laid out all three sweaters was when he collapsed immediately across the rug.

“How can you be tired already, Baby? We just started! You still need to pick out coats for us to wear!” Baekhyun laughs, racking his fingers across his son’s exposed tummy. Jongin dissolved immediately into giggles and squeals, his father’s actions ticklish, and tried desperately to squirm away— of which his efforts were successful.

So that’s how they ended up both sprawled across the fluffy white rug, panting from the exertion that was their laughter, cheeks ruddy and grins wide.

“Papa choose,” Jongin declares, breaking the quiet silence, before he scrambles up onto his feet and toddles over to where Baekhyun laid. A whiny “tired…” was the last thing the little one said before plopping back down onto his bottom, palms pressed against and cheeks squished up against the taut skin of Baekhyun’s belly.

“Hmm,” Baekhyun hums, carding his fingers through his son’s hair, playfully contemplative. “But Papa’s tired too Sweetheart, so how are we gonna fix this?”

…

…

…

“Daddy choose.”

* * *

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**LAY STUD10** **  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **08:25 A.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Noona!”

The call had the lone girl spinning on her heels, lips instantly spreading wide as she registered from whom the exclamation came from.

“Nini!” Seungwan cries, immediately dropping down to a squat and spreading her arms wide, an invitation the little pup took all too willingly as he stumbled directly into her arms. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much!”

Giggles washed over her ears as Jongin wrapped his arms tightly about her neck. The little cherub’s bright laughter served as music to the receptionist’s ears, and its effect was heightened by the bouncing and echoing of the giggles off the walls. They pulled apart a good moment later though, prompted by the greetings directed Seungwan’s way from the child’s parents, and Seungwan greeted them back in kind.

Chanyeol followed in after Baekhyun, having held the door open for his family, and Seungwan watched on as Baekhyun squeezed his Mate’s fingers in his hands, most likely his thanks for the chivalrous gesture.

They were absolutely adorable to watch, that Seungwan has come to realise after three years of working the register at LAY STUD10. The pair had already been Mated for two years when Seungwan joined their crew, and they had only served to be the warmest, most loving couple she has come to know since then. 

She has also come to realise that Chanyeol quite possibly was the most considerate Alpha she has come to know. Chanyeol would always make sure to drop Baekhyun off at the studio whenever the latter had morning classes, and the Alpha would even make food for the staff members on his off days. Sometimes he’d prepare them in the morning, dropping Baekhyun off with their lunch, but on days where he hasn’t gone grocery shopping yet, or he wants to prepare something a little extra, he comes by again later in the afternoon with the freshly made lunch.

Like today.

“Nini and I will be going grocery shopping and then we’ll make lunch. We’ll come back at around noon? It shouldn’t take too long!” Chanyeol shares as he helps Baekhyun out of his coat,  _ “jjigae’s  _ fine with you, right?”

“Yeah, of course! Thank you so much!” Seungwan smiles, arms still wrapped about Jongin. Chanyeol simply responded in kind, a smile across his own lips and nodding in acknowledgement of the only other Alpha’s reply.

“Okay, then it’s settled! We’ll help Baek get settled in first before we leave.”

With that, the little family of three-and-a-half made their way towards the vocal rooms, little Jongin pulling away from Seungwan’s hold (albeit reluctantly) and waving his goodbye before pattering over to his Papa. 

Seungwan only laughed.

Each vocal instructor had their own designated room, and considering how all of them are bound by a contract to the studio— and hence the room, most of them would actually take the time to personalise it. In Baekhyun’s case, he had gone so far as to pin up some artworks, of which the artist is none other than his own son. These art pieces would have been made with  _ only _ Baekhyun’s room in mind, and it was obvious in the stamps of musical notes, singing choirs, microphones, and stages sprinkled all about them.

Just like the new one in his hands.

“You drew another picture for Papa?” Baekhyun coos, hugging the artwork to his chest as he gazed down at his son, eyes and smile soft. The reply he got was a series of rapid nods in succession, a breathy giggle slipping between Jongin’s own grin. “Let’s go pin it up, hm?”

Holding a hand out for the pup to take, Baekhyun guided them to one of the walls, the one he had set out to be meant for Jongin’s drawings. Of course, those weren’t the only things covering the wall, because both Chanyeol and Baekhyun contribute their own pictures of their family as well, but it’s still very apparent that Jongin is the main sponsor.

“Is this a good spot, Sunshine?” Baekhyun gestures towards the space right beside Jongin’s last drawing, and Jongin nods. They get the pins— stored in a little plastic container right by the whiteboard, and Baekhyun helps hand over them one by one, Jongin pinning the drawing at all four corners. 

“It’s beautiful, Baby,” Baekhyun coos, holding his son close as they both gazed at the newest addition to the wall once Jongin was done. “Thank you so much for this, Papa loves it.” He ends off his statement with a loud, wet smooch against the pup’s cheek, and Jongin only squirmed away, shoulders hunching and giggles spilling at the ticklish sensation.

Baekhyun simply smiled.

His moment was regrettably cut short by a reminder from Chanyeol about the time;  _ 8.33 A.M., _ and Baekhyun knew that it was time to bid his family farewell. Even though his class doesn’t start for another 27 minutes, Baekhyun makes it a habit to arrive a half hour earlier, giving him some time to prepare all the necessary notes and to warm up his own vocals.

“Papa will see you later, okay Sweetheart?” he murmurs, looking directly into the younger Omega’s eyes as he held Jongin’s little palm in his own. The soothing circles his thumb was rubbing into the soft skin must have been comfort enough, for Jongin only responded with a quick nod and an amiable “Okay Papa!”

… which wasn’t quite the response he was hoping for, only because Baekhyun wasn’t quite ready to let them go just yet.

His thoughts must have been apparent on his face though, because Chanyeol had immediately walked over, a soft smile on his lips and eyes hooded in understanding. “You’ll see us in just three and a half hours, Love. We’ll come back.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t miss you,” came the murmured whine, Baekhyun holding Jongin to his front, hooking his chin over the pup’s shoulder and swaying them from side to side. “An hour in pregnant time is the equivalent of one day, so imagine what three and a half is…”

Chanyeol only snorted, arranging the strap of Jongin’s bear backpack such that it rested more comfortably on his shoulders. “Now you’re just being dramatic,” he chuckles, holding a hand out for his Mate to take, gently pulling him up from the kneel and succeeding in unwinding his arms from around their pup. “The three hours will fly by before you know it, and by the time we meet again, you’d wish the wait was longer.”

“I doubt that,” and Chanyeol laughs, picking Jongin up from under his arms and carrying the pup.

“Anyway, we’ll get going now, Love. Take care and sit down okay? Don’t stand for too long, Sehunnie’s already getting so big and heavy, so rest your feet whenever you can alright?”

“I will, I will,” Baekhyun chides, but the annoyance was lost the moment he stepped forward and welcomed his Mate’s arm around his waist. Leaning up ever so slightly, Baekhyun pressed a final kiss to Chanyeol’s cheek before turning to their little one, scrunching his nose up playfully before dropping a peck on Jongin’s nose. “I love you Baby,” he mumbles, and Jongin’s instinctive, yet so very earnest reply of “Love you Papa!” instantly melted the hearts of both his parents.

“Love you Yeol—” a final peck exchanged between Mates, before “now go! Before I start missing you already and won’t let you leave!”

Fond chuckles, before final waves.

“Bye Baek, I love you!”

“Bye bye Papa!”

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**LOTTE Mart** **  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **09:13 A.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Daddy, this?” The little one was pointing towards one of the many vegetables the mart had in stock, wide eyes brightly twinkling in expectation. Jongin had identified the cabbages, and Chanyeol couldn’t help but grow so pleasantly surprised and proud; his son had managed to identify a common vegetable Chanyeol uses in the kitchen, and rewarded him by dropping a kiss onto his beanie-covered crown. “Thank you Sunshine, we  _ do _ need to restock on cabbage.”

Jongin only smiled, the grin growing wider as he watched his father inspect a couple of napa cabbage heads, before settling on one and putting it in a plastic bag. He then handed over the vegetable to the pup, letting Jongin hold and have a feel of it; it was something the pup loved to do whenever the family went grocery shopping, touching and having a feel for everything that is. It wasn’t surprising, considering how Jongin’s curiosity was at one of its peaks, and with how much of a well-behaved little two-year-old he was and how careful he is with what he handles, Chanyeol always lets Jongin rummage around in the grocery cart as much as he wants. 

They had just started, and Chanyeol would always grab the vegetables and proteins first; the freshest ones would be cleared out come noon, which is why he makes it a point to grab those first. They had a few more things to get, so the father-son duo continued on in that same fashion in the vegetable aisle; Chanyeol picking out the vegetables and dropping them into the cart, and Jongin gasping and grabby-handing the new items.

The father adored moments like this, the hours when it’s just him and his son. Don’t get him wrong though, for he loves spending time as a collective family unit as well, but the happiness he derives from each case is different.

Because when it’s just him and Jongin, he gets the little pup  _ all to himself. _

(Not that Jongin isn’t already a  _ Daddy’s boy, _ but the feeling of your little pup seeking you and  _ only you _ for extended periods of time hits differently.)

((Don’t tell Baekhyun that.))

Which is why he loves Mondays.

Chanyeol usually gets Mondays and Tuesdays off, something Youngmi had been strict on the moment her son broke the news that Baekhyun was carrying  _ Jongin.  _ She wanted Chanyeol to spend as much time as he could with Baekhyun, knowing how hard pregnancy can be, and both Chanyeol and Baekhyun were thankful for that. His schedule’s been set that way ever since. 

Then seeing as how Baekhyun had classes on Mondays, that meant that Jongin was essentially left with Chanyeol for most of the day.

Making Mondays = Daddy Days.

… the PG version, of course.

“Daddy! Meat! Meat!” 

The call successfully pulled Chanyeol out of his reverie, and a laugh bubbled out of his lips the moment he saw his son pointing towards the bright, pink-lit section of the supermarket. “Of course you’ll know your favourite,” he comments, pushing them towards the meats.

Jongin immediately gasps, little fingers grasping the bars of the shopping cart and poking through. He scans the wide array, quite obviously looking for something, before—

“Daddy will get your chicken, Sunshine, don’t worry.” Chanyeol laughs, observing the meats and picking out the best ones. Jongin only nodded, but Chanyeol could still see how his son kept his gaze focused on him, eyes hawk-like, and the little one didn’t stop until Chanyeol got his hands on the chicken meat.

“Thank you Daddy!” Jongin smiles, feet wiggling at the sight of his father dropping the chicken into the cart. He didn’t approach the meat though, unlike how he’d do so for vegetables and fruits, because all it took was one experience a long six months ago for Jongin to realise and remember that meats were  _ “icky”. _

Chanyeol simply patted his head and chuckled, before proceeding to pick out other cuts of meat.

“Daddy, all done?”

Their shopping cart was pretty much full now, and the grocery list in Chanyeol’s hand had pretty much everything checked off, so they were done for the day. They had picked out all the necessary items like vegetables, meats, fruits, dairy, eggs, and all other kitchen staples, but they also took a trip down the snack and pastry aisles, Chanyeol dropping in some nuts and Jongin hugging a few cheese bread loaves.

Chanyeol would have wanted some other snacks of his own as well (i.e. chips) but Baekhyun and himself had agreed on holding out on those for a bit, at least until Jongin was a little older. They knew their little one wanted to try everything and anything his parents were eating, and chips weren’t as healthy of a snack as they’d like to give their little one, so they compromised and made a sacrifice.

Besides, it’s not like he’ll die anyway. In fact, it’s been so long since he’s last had them that Chanyeol’s not craving them anymore. They’ve become a food that’s something he wouldn’t be averse to eating, but at the same time something he wouldn’t go out of his way to get.

Though, Baekhyun on the other hand, replaced chips with something else entirely, and that being  _ bubble tea. _

It’s been one of Baekhyun’s cravings recently, a staple in his diet ever since he was three months along. They immediately knew that it had to be a pregnancy craving, because Baekhyun was not one who actively sought out bubble tea— hell, Baekhyun wasn’t a fan of sweet things in the first place, so the perpetrator had to be none other than Sehunnie. 

It was a little worrisome at first, a concern Chanyeol had voiced out after one of his midnight craving runs to a sated Baekhyun-who-had-just-finished-a-cup-of-bubble-tea, primarily because of the amount of sugar there is in each cup, and Baekhyun understood it as well. In fact, Baekhyun’s concern mirrored his, but his Mate didn’t know how else to curb his cravings; he’s tried, but the more he squashes down his need for the sweet drink, the crankier he got, and Baekhyun didn’t want to snap at his two loves simply because he couldn’t get his sugar.

He had snapped at Chanyeol once before and Baekhyun had been an absolute bawling mess after, so immensely apologetic and inconsolable for two hours straight that he even cried himself to sleep.

(Chanyeol hadn’t minded though. He knew how tough pregnancy was, having seen his Mate through Jongin’s, and he can only imagine what it must be like now considering Sehunnie’s bigger frame. Moreover, Baekhyun’s snappy comment had resulted in his Mate being the clingiest, most absolutely adorable Omega the next day; Baekhyun refused to even be a metre away from the other, constantly holding onto the hem of Chanyeol’s shirt and pouting for hugs and kisses every five minutes, and of course Chanyeol loved it.)

That day signified the revelation of an important concern, they immediately rang up their OB-GYN, Junmyeon, who had recommended soy milk mixed with honey, and having aloe vera jelly as a topping as an alternative. It wasn’t quite bubble tea, but it was definitely a healthier choice, and it sated Baekhyun’s cravings all the same.

Which is why they’re now standing outside the cafe they frequent, with four orders of soy milk in Chanyeol’s hand.

“Yes Baby, all done!”

Jongin was nursing his own mini cup— a special, on-the-house order given by the cafe, his drink the miniature version of Chanyeol’s own order. The four drinks were meant for Baekhyun, Seungwan, Jongdae, and Chanyeol himself; Jongdae usually had lunch with them on Mondays, and making lunch and getting him a drink was just one of the little ways Chanyeol could express his thanks to the other Omega for taking care of his Baekhyun in the studio.

Hoisting Jongin up a little higher on his chest, Chanyeol bid the staff goodbye— something Jongin mirrored with his own enthusiastic waves and  _ “Bye bye!”,  _ before making his way back to his jeep.

“Is it nice, Sunshine?” Chanyeol asks, buckling the pup to the car seat.

“Yes Daddy! Nice!”

A smile, a fond chuckle, before a pressing of lips to a tiny nose.

“I love you, Baby.”

“Love you Daddy!”

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**LAY STUD10** **  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **11:42 A.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

“Are they not here yet?”

The whine only pulled out a laugh and a snort from Seungwan and Jongdae respectively. The trio were currently holing up in the lounge room, the one authorised only to staff. That’s where they usually hang around during lunch time, seeing as how that’s where the pantry and mini kitchen area were. It’s even complete with a fridge, a wash sink, a stove, and an island. Yixing also instructed Wendy to keep the cabinets stocked with any snacks and  _ ramyeon _ she and Baekhyun wishes to have—  _ “Whatever you want, and also whatever Baekhyunnie wants”  _ had been his instruction as he handed over the company expenses card to her over two years ago.

A.K.A. The end of her first week at LAY STUD10, and the end of Baekhyun’s first trimester back when he was carrying Jongin.

And ever since then, Seungwan had gone to town during her grocery shop-cross-pantry restocking runs.

Which is how the three of them found themselves sprawled out over the L-shaped couch, Baekhyun laying down on the extension, a bowl of freshly popped popcorn balanced on his belly, and Seungwan and Jongdae sharing their own, slightly smaller bowl.

“I miss them already…”

“God—” a throwing of popcorn, “you last saw them barely  _ three hours ago.  _ Let them have some father-son time!” 

Baekhyun brought his hands up the moment Jongdae let out the first syllable, expecting the throws of popcorn and thankfully managing to shield his face from the assault. “Okay,  _ and?  _ I’m pregnant! Can’t I miss my Mate and my pup?”

Jongdae was about to rebuke, but Seungwan was quicker.

“They’re probably on their way here already, Oppa,” she offered, smile earnest in its comfort, “give them till 12, they should be here by then.”

…

…

…

“... but I want them here  _ nooooooooooow.” _

All he got was a groan and a giggle. 

(You can probably tell who gave what.)

“Papa!”

“Hi my Sunshine! Oh my goodness— Papa’s missed you  _ soooooooo _ much!” Baekhyun immediately pulled the little pup in, arms winding tight about the puffy and fluffy little one (courtesy of the padded jacket and wool beanie he himself slotted Jongin in), burying his nose into his neck and breathing in the scent of fresh sunflowers and sunshine— comfort. Jongin simply giggled in reply, the two-year-old bringing his own arms up to wind about his father and stuffing his own red little nose into the older Omega’s neck. However, he was still really small and Papa is adult-sized, so little Jongin’s little nose couldn’t reach Baekhyun’s neck, which was why he resorted to booping his nose against the older’s ear instead.

Baekhyun could feel the sigh his son gave upon breathing in his scent of baby powder, and had never felt so comforted.

“We were gone for just three hours, Baek,” came Chanyeol’s laugh, the Alpha settling the food and drinks onto the table. Both Jongdae and Seungwan had been quick to help him, and before long all the tupperwares and plates had been set. 

“That’s exactly what I told him too, but Sehunnie must be a clingy one,” Jongdae quips, rinsing the utensils. “He wasn’t this clingy when he was preggy with Nini.”

“I think it’s cute though,” Seungwan comments as she began spooning out the stew into the bowls, “it’s refreshing.” 

All that earned her was yet another snort from Jongdae, but appreciative smiles from both the parents.

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**The Park’s Apartment** **  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **2:23P.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

They had returned home just a little over ten minutes ago, scents content and bellies full. Chanyeol had made quite a generous pot, just a little bit over six servings, and the four adults decided to split it equally amongst themselves. However, seeing as how the other three were still in the middle of their working hours, Chanyeol volunteered to eat more, knowing that they couldn’t afford to be induced into a food coma as much as he did.

Thankfully, his little pup had helped him scrap the last few pieces of meat and tofu off the pot, which was why Jongin had knocked out the moment he was strapped into his car seat– something the other three adults found amusing.

_ “He’s adorable,”  _ Baekhyun had cooed, thumb stroking the apple of the little pup’s cheek as he cupped his face.  _ “He must have been tired too, especially after the morning grocery run.” _

Chanyeol had nodded, his own eyes soft as he shut the trunk of his jeep after placing all the pots and utensils in.  _ “He’ll be knocked out for two hours at least, which means I’ll get to nap for an hour too,” _ he smiled,  _ “the perks of having a pup who loves to sleep.” _

The both of them shared a laugh, before Baekhyun wrapped his arms about his Mate’s neck at the same time Chanyeol slithered his own about the Omega’s waist. Meeting each other halfway in a peck on the lips, Chanyeol bidded his goodbyes before getting into the car.

_ “I’ll pick you up later, okay? Text me once you’re done!”  _ he called, and it wasn’t until he got an affirmative and another kiss on the lips– this time through the window, did he drive off.

He had settled Jongin onto the couch, draping his pup’s favourite blanket (a yellow, woolen, bear-printed one, unsurprisingly) over him, before gently nudging Jongin’s most adored plushie (again, a teddy bear, unsurprisingly) into his side. He smiled the moment Jongin’s fingers unfurled from their little fist, accommodating and curling about the soft fur of the toy, and it was with a final smooch to his son’s forehead and a last finger-comb through soft strands of black did Chanyeol leave.

He still had some house chores to do, after all.

Grabbing a laundry basket, Chanyeol first went into their son’s room. They usually changed their sheets weekly on Mondays, which might seem excessive to some people, but both Chanyeol and Baekhyun share an immense love for fresh sheets, and what better way to end the start of the week with freshly laundered cotton?

Chanyeol made quick work of Jongin’s own sheets, even dumping his pillow case, bolster cover, and the few teddy plushies he has lining his cot frame into the basket. Once that was done, he headed over to their own room where he did the same, and after just another five minutes, the washing machine was set and whirring, the yellow and white sheets tumbling about.

A glance at the machine’s timer told him that the cycle would be done in just under fifty minutes, and it was with that knowledge that Chanyeol headed over to the couch, laying himself down on the elongated stretch, perpendicular to his son.

A fifty minute cycle meant time for a fifty minute nap, so that’s exactly what he’s going to do.

The dinging of their washing machine had been the one that nudged the Alpha out of slumber, and unfortunately, it did the same for the little one if the way his brows furrowed or the whimpers spilling from his lips were anything to go by. Making quick to hush and shush, Chanyeol gave gentle pats to Jongin’s bottom, coaxing him back into slumber with the releasing of his pheromones. That had done just the trick, thankfully, because the furrow dissolved and the whimpers tapered off into nothing within just five seconds, and Chanyeol couldn’t help but drop yet another one of his endless pecks on his son’s fluffy cheek.

… and it was with a murmured “I love you” did the Alpha push himself off the couch, and into the laundry room.

He was just pulling out the last piece of fabric from the machine when soft whimpers and whines could be heard echoing from the living room. A glance towards the clock told him that barely five minutes had passed since he left the couch, and quick calculations told him that Jongin was asleep for… well, Chanyeol’s a chef, not a mathematician, so his quick calculation results just told him that Jongin definitely did  _ not _ sleep for at least two hours, a.k.a. The minimum required nap time for pups his age.

Meaning, Jongin would be cranky.

“Daddy’s here, Sunshine!” he called out, voice loud enough to echo about the apartment as he poked his head out. He could see the living room from where he was, and noted the minute shuffling that accompanied the increasingly distressed whimpers, which was why he was quick to call out “Daddy’s in the laundry room, Sweetheart! Come over here please!”

That was all it took for Jongin to finally make his way over, it seems, because the father only had to wait three more seconds before his son entered his line of sight; the little toddler standing right smack in the centre of the hallway, teddy cradled in one arm and his favourite blanket gripped in the other. Chanyeol had wanted to call out once more, to show his son his location, but surprisingly he didn’t have to, for Jongin turned immediately towards the direction of the laundry room.

It wasn’t much, but that had been enough to reassure Chanyeol that his little pup was developing all his Wolf senses just fine, and he couldn’t be happier.

“Daddyyyy...” Jongin whined, picking up his pace as he bounced his way over to Chanyeol. The Alpha noted the beginnings of tears, though, in the steady scrunching of the little one’s features and the increasingly wilting scent of sunflowers, so he was quick to drop the laundry basket and onto his knees, arms spread wide for the little one to stumble into.

Jongin happily tumbled into his father, nuzzling his little face into Chanyeol’s neck as the first few whimpers broke through. Chanyeol was quick to soothe him, arms coming to wrap around the little tot and palms combing through his hair, all whilst releasing his own pheromones, not unlike previously.

When the whimpers died down and the scent of sunflowers grew fresh again, Chanyeol finally allowed himself to pull away from the little one just a tad, enough for him to meet Jongin’s gaze as he asked “did you have a good nap, Sunshine?” and he simply chuckled at the gentle bobbing.

Pressing a kiss to the pup’s crown, Chanyeol wrapped one arm about Jongin’s bottom before hoisting the both of them up. He wanted to bring Jongin back to the couch and turn on the TV, putting on some  _ Pororo _ to distract his little one as he goes to put some new sheets on for their beds, but the sight of the freshly laundered sheets gave him a new idea.

“Hey Sunshine?” he calls, successfully getting Jongin’s attention with a hum in reply, “do you wanna build a fort with Daddy?”

Squeals and peals of laughter were the only sounds that could be heard echoing about the apartment, all of which resulted from Chanyeol wrapping the little pup in layers upon layers of wool and yarn.

The father-and-son duo had just finished draping the final piece of cloth over the backs of a few dining chairs, Chanyeol dragging them over from the dining room with Jongin’s help (even though all the pup did was sit and giggle on the chair, but Chanyeol considers his little Nini’s laughter a balm, so if you were to look at it  _ that _ way, then yeah Jongin did help). Chanyeol had taken a few blankets and pillows from the closet— and  _ no, they were not his Mate’s nesting supplies. Park Chanyeol does not have a death wish,  _ and had been efficient in the building of the fort.

(He left his little one to be in charge of arranging the plushies,  _ a very important job.) _

But he had taken a few too many extra sheets, though, and with the buggy feeling the thought of folding them back and storing them back in the closet gave him, Chanyeol resorted to enveloping his son in them. Jongin didn’t mind one bit, the toddler breaking out into shrieks of laughter as opposed to screams of terror, and that only goaded the parent on.

“Got you!” Chanyeol growled playfully, releasing his own manic laugh as he lifted his son. The movement would have tricked anyone into thinking that he was about to toss his son up— it even worked on little Nini himself, but Chanyeol didn’t let go even once. He was quick to pull the other down just as swiftly as he lifted him up, and all the two-year-old could do was continue to shriek.

_ Ding dong! _

“Oh! That must be the chicken!” Chanyeol flipped the toddler right side up before perching him on his arm, blanket burrito wrap and all, before striding over to the intercom. Seeing the classic teal blue uniform, Chanyeol unlocked the door before moving to greet the delivery driver, expressing his thanks with a bow— something Jongin copied as well. The driver simply laughed as he bowed in reply, and it was with a final wave and well wishes for a good rest of the day did he leave.

“Chicken! Chicken!”

“I know Baby,” Chanyeol laughs, heading over to the kitchen as he gripped more firmly onto a bouncing toddler, “we ordered it together!”

Even though they just had quite a filling lunch, Chanyeol knew that fort building wouldn’t be complete without snacks.

“Daddy! I’m hungry! Nini hungry!”

The Alpha huffs a laugh, one laced with undertones of disbelief. He settles the little one on the counter before caging him in with one arm, the other coming up with his hand in a claw as he tickles Omega’s tummy. “You just ate barely 2 hours ago! What do you mean you’re hungry?!” he laughs, and Jongin simply giggled in reply, squirming from the ticklish onslaught.

It took a while for the little one to calm down, and Chanyeol dropped a kiss onto his hair once he did. He made sure that his son was safe from falls by sticking close to him as he went to get the plates and utensils, but he realised— a little too late, that he wouldn’t be able to carry everything back in one go, at least not if one arm was going to be occupied with carrying Jongin.

“... Why  _ did _ I bring you here…”

“Hm?”

“Oh— nothing Sunshine,” Chanyeol shook his head, lifting his son up and hooking him onto his hip, the other hand grabbing the box of seasoned fried chicken. “Just thinking about how much I love you~”, and Jongin grinned. 

It wasn’t exactly a whole lie, because Chanyeol did realise how much he loved (read: was whipped for) Jongin based on the fact that he brought him into the kitchen, because it is one of the many prime examples of how  _ “you never let Nini go, Yeol!” _

… but with how cute little Nini is, can you even blame him?

“Love you Daddy!”

…  _ can you? _

…

…

…

Exactly.

The little one then proceeded to nuzzle into Chanyeol’s neck, and the Alpha couldn’t help the way his heart bloomed in his chest. He pressed a kiss to Jongin’s cheek, the toddler receiving it with a nose scrunch and a smile at his father’s elaborate and noisy peck, and Chanyeol only laughed.

They reached the living room soon enough and Chanyeol deposited the pup right smack in the center of the fort. “Wait here for a second Baby, Daddy just has to go grab the plates and utensils and I’ll be back! Then we can eat together, okay?”

“Okay!”

He was confident that his little one wouldn’t touch the bag of food. After all, Baekhyun and him had done the whole “telling your child they gotta wait till you’re back before they can start eating” experiment on him just a month ago (they wanted to see how well Jongin would listen to them, considering he was going to be their oldest and hence Sehunnie’s likely first role model), and their little Sunshine performed splendidly. They had even used a plate of braised chicken, little Nini’s favourite food, but the pup only sat still— he couldn’t even distract himself with plushies or his toys, because both Chanyeol and Baekhyun kept them away.

And the little one didn’t change, still remaining as obedient as he was, and always has been.

“Good job Sunshine,” Chanyeol praised, ruffling his fingers through his son’s hair when he saw the untouched box. Jongin simply grinned and patted the spot next to him on the fort, a call and invitation for Chanyeol to settle down as well, and the Alpha did so willingly.

Though, apparently the little pup had a hidden agenda for that, because the moment his father plopped down, Jongin hadn’t wasted a second before scrambling over his lap, not stopping until he was in a comfortable position. Or, in other words, once he was cocooned in his father’s lap.

“God, you’re so cute,” Chanyeol sighed, wrapping his arms around his little son and hooking his chin over his head, a squeal leaving his throat as he hugged his son tight. “You always wanna be with Daddy all the time– but guess what Baby? Daddy wants to be with you all the time too! I don’t want to ever let you go!”

Jongin simply giggled in reply, his laughter building into little squeals the moment Chanyeol started raining kisses all over his hair and face. “Daddy! Daddy– Tickles!”

His son had started to squirm and even nudge him away, and that was Chanyeol’s sign to stop. The both of them were left a smiley, breathy mess, Jongin’s cheeks flushed pink and grin stretched so wide his eyes resembled his Papa’s (turning into little half-moons), and Chanyeol felt his heart  _ melt. _

“... Daddy loves you, Sunshine,” he whispers, dropping a peck on the little pup’s forehead, his own eyes soft and smile warm, “Daddy loves you so much.”

The pup just giggled, bringing his own arms up to wind about his father as much as he could, given his tiny arms and the Alpha’s much bigger frame.

“Nini love you! Love Daddy too!”

* * *

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**The Park’s Apartment Lobby** **  
** **21 December 2020, Monday** **  
** **4:49 P.M.**

**━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━**

**_Me:  
_ ** __ My student had to end class early, so I’ll be leaving earlier!!  
_ Dae’s offering to drop me off, so you don’t have to come~  
_ __ I love you, see you! ^^

Sent, 4:36 P.M.

_ ‘That’s weird, usually he’d see my messages by now.’ _

“Okay, we’re here!” Jongdae’s little exclamation prompted the other to drop his phone, Baekhyun locking the screen and sliding it back into his coat’s pocket. 

Jongdae had lingered a while after his class (his last class on Mondays ended an hour before Baekhyun’s own), spending some time with Seungwan and keeping the younger girl company while he waited for his own Mate to end work. However, when he saw Baekhyun coming down the hallway thirty minutes ahead of schedule, Jongdae offered to send him home.

_ “I can pick Minnie up straight after, since his cafe’s closer to your area,”  _ had been his retaliation to Baekhyun’s initial rejection, and he gave in.

That was when he sent his Mate the text messages too, and that was twenty minutes ago. Usually, Chanyeol would have read his messages within five minutes at most— which wasn’t surprising considering how the Alpha had set a special ringtone specifically for Baekhyun, be it his calls or text messages. So to have the tag still be  _ Sent _ was a worry.

It must have shown on his face somewhat, because Jongdae was quick to reassure him that “He might be busy with Nini, or he could possibly be asleep. Anyway, you know for sure that he’s not on his way to pick you up so he’s probably still home.”

“I guess…” and the uncertainty in it prompted Jongdae to smile.

“The faster you get up there, the faster you can confirm his whereabouts, and the faster you get to reunite with your family.”

Baekhyun smiles his own, and it was with a heartfelt  _ “Thanks, Dae” _ and an exchange of neck presses did he finally bid his goodbye.

Despite Jongdae doing his best to alleviate his worries, Baekhyun couldn’t help the bubbles of anxiety from forming, the worry pressing a weight against his chest, one that had him picking up his pace as he strode across the lobby. He did still greet the security guard and the few neighbours whom he recognised, but his priority was still his Mate and his pup.

He had no doubt that Chanyeol wouldn’t be in danger, because his Mate had Jongin with him and loved their little one  _ far _ too much to put him any distance within danger’s vicinity (Hell, Chanyeol wouldn’t even let Jongin touch a single matchstick– not a match _ box, _ but a match _ stick). _ So he wasn’t too worried about that. Instead, what had his heart racing was the possibility that something might have happened to Chanyeol  _ within _ their home, and that had him racing towards their apartment.

Jabbing in their passcode, Baekhyun swung open the door, ready to call out for his Mate and his little pup when–

_ “Papa…?” _

Baekhyun could only gape as his little pup toddled over, dressed in one of his many bear-printed onesies, complete with socked feet and all. Jongin had a happy grin on his face, bouncing with each step he took before finally wrapping his arms around Baekhyun’s left calf.

Though, as cute as the little one was, the only thing that Baekhyun could focus on was how–

_ “Papa…! Miss you!” _

… his little one was  _ whispering. _

Shutting the door behind him, Baekhyun went down onto his knees, holding the little one’s arms gently in his hands before proceeding to hug him. “I’ve missed you too, Sunshine,” he whispered back, taking a moment to revel in the soft and small warmth of sunshine in his arms. “Is Daddy asleep?”

“Mmhmm!” Jongin nodded, before bringing a finger up to his lips. “Daddy sleeping! Play!” A pause, with Jongin’s features dropping and shoulders slumping, “... Daddy tired…”

_ Ah, _ Baekhyun thinks,  _ that’s why he hasn’t seen my messages. _

Rubbing his palms over his son’s back, Baekhyun hummed in reply before gently pulling away. “I’m sure he must have been, Sweetheart,” he smiles, pressing a smooch into the little one’s cheek. “You and Daddy played a lot today?”

Furious nods were all he got in reply, before Jongin was tugging him over to the living room where Baekhyun could quite clearly see a fort. He laughs, not out of mockery, but out of pleasant surprise; his Mate really didn’t hold back in building– but hey, this  _ is _ Park Chanyeol who’s being discussed, and Baekhyun knows better than anyone how seriously his Mate takes, well, anything really. 

Including fort-building. 

“Daddy built this? This is so cool!” Baekhyun kept his voice down to a strict whisper. He deduced that his Mate was sleeping in the fort, and his guess was proven right the moment he crouched down.

Chanyeol was sprawled out across the blankets and cushions, eyes shut and chest lifting evenly. Jongin’s favourite blanket was draped over his chest too, rumpled and crumpled, so he guessed that Jongin had been napping with Chanyeol too, keeping the Alpha company on his chest.

Baekhyun had wanted to crawl into the fort himself, desiring to sit beside his Mate and card his fingers through his hair and watch as the Alpha– and the love of his life, woke up, but  _ damn _ Chanyeol’s Alpha instincts for giving him heightened senses, because–

“... I could smell you,” Chanyeol murmurs, and the Alpha gave a few more blinks before he pushed himself up and out of the fort, sliding over to where his family were at the makeshift entrance. “What’re you doing here so early? I was supposed to pick you up.”

Chanyeol was still very much in his dazed state, with squinty eyes and scrunched nose and lips, a sight that Baekhyun found so  _ painfully _ endearing that he couldn’t help but reach out and cup his Mate’s cheek. “My class ended early because my student had some urgent matters to attend to— I even texted you about it, but seeing as how you were asleep…”

“Huh? I must have heard it— my phone’s never on silent mode…” Chanyeol then began searching about, fingers and eyes sweeping across the mess of blankets and pillows. 

… but with each empty and clean sweep, the more alert he became, for—

“Wait— where’s my phone? I left it  _ right here _ before Nini and I na—”

_ Ring-ring… ring-ring… _

“... Baby,” a sigh, “why did you put Daddy’s phone in the laundry basket?”

A frown, before a freshly bloomed pout.

_ “Noisy.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, Jongin knew how much of a light-sleeper Chanyeol is, and he also knew that Chanyeol's phone is "noisy" (because of how it's never on silent... and maybe because of the "Baekhyun ringtone"), so with nothing but the pure wish to have his Daddy sleep peacefully, the little one hid it in the room furthest from the living room.
> 
> Baby Nini only had good intentions! 🥰
> 
> But anyway, as always, thank you again for reading this through to it's end! I really appreciate how you gave this a chance! ^^ Please do forgive my slight mistakes, this is unbeta-ed unfortunately >< Also, I realised that I didn't include much ABO elements in both this chapter and the previous one, so I'll bear that in mind when I draw up the next one!
> 
> Please do let me know down in the comments if there's any particular part you enjoyed! I'm also always open to constructive criticsm, so don't hesitate to share with me any ideas / areas for improvement you've identified, I'd really appreciate it! Once again, thank you, take care, and stay safe! Till the next chapter! ^^
> 
> P.S. Do let me know if there is any particular scene you'd like to see! I don't have many ideas left, which is a SHAME because I love this AU and want to write more of it but my brain is *empty* T-T Hahaha
> 
> P.P.S. I don't know anything about babies lmao so if Jongin is like... underdeveloped / overdeveloped for his age,,,,,, let it slide.


End file.
